The Minister's indifference matches the information in the Annual Report. The number of suspected or alleged assaults reported is accompanied by the bland statement that this represents 1.2 per cent of the permanent aged care population. There is no further comment, hence the message appears to be 'nothing to see here'.

It is hard to imagine such a lack of interest if another vulnerable group, primary school children, were the subject of nearly 3000 alleged assaults. We would surely not turn a blind eye to that, yet this happens when our elders are involved. The community would want to know more: how many allegations were serious, how many were substantiated. If staff were found guilty, we would want to know what happened to them.

Historically, both provider associations and Ministers for Aged Care have played down the significance of alleged assaults and nothing changes. The paucity of information on this significant feature of nursing home life continues despite a year of disturbing media exposes of poor care.

The Law Reform Commission (Elder Abuse Inquiry) and the Carnell-Paterson review of regulation both recommended mandatory reporting of alleged assaults to include all 'serious incidents'. They recommend that outcomes of nursing home in-house investigationa be reported to a regulator who could in turn investigate. However they don't mention reporting to the public.

Elder Care Watch calls on the Minister, Ken Wyatt, to require the Department of Health to follow up the alleged assaults and to publish statistical data on the outcomes. The community should have a complete picture not just a cryptic note.